A blog about navigating the realities, struggles, and frustrations of life while unemployed—with a positive outlook. Opinion commentary pieces on unemployment and hiring plus informative articles & tips on life learning, career, well-being.

I know you’re familiar with them. Thanks to the spreading of these types of stereotypes everywhere, the unemployed are viewed negatively by others in society.

If you’re unemployed, however, you know first-hand these labels don’t apply to everyone experiencing unemployment.

Positives Regarding the Jobless Group

To some, the unemployment and job search situations come off as rather simple, but they’re not simple to those experiencing them. There are complexities. There are barriers.

Many unemployed job seekers are still job searching – trying hard – to find paid work and cannot get anything.

Still, these stereotypes get the most attention as they’re constantly reported in the media.

Mainly, the following statement: unemployed people are lazy and just want to live lavishly off of their unemployed benefits. Is this even possible?

Why wouldn’t responsible unemployed workers want to productively earn a living like those with employment?

Who would voluntarily choose to leave the work force long-term for no adequate reason without some kind of plan B?

Not very many people. Many people would gladly accept a job if the offer was given to them.

So again I ask, why always focus on the unemployed negatively? Why presume everyone as a whole is one and the same?

If you’re not among the unemployed, are you interested in knowing some of the positive things the jobless have been doing while waiting to land a job?

If so, you won’t know these things without talking to the unemployed.

Without talking to the unemployed, you won’t know the hard work many are putting in to better themselves and their situations as they can.

For example, did you know there are unemployed workers improving themselves professionally through retraining, schooling, or self-study?

Did you know there are unemployed people looking into and signing up for all kinds of freelance and consulting projects in terms of work?

Did you know many of the unemployed are pursuing the track of entrepreneurship and several have been successful?

Why aren’t these things being reported? Why don’t people care to share these types of stories more often?

Why continue to stereotype the unemployed?

Consider Alternatives to the Stereotypes

Here’s a suggestion.

Consider alternatives to the above stereotypes. Challenge them by gathering facts from the mouths of the unemployed.

How about arranging a way to communicate with the unemployed themselves? Listen to their stories and experiences – and believe them.

From there, shed light on the positives as this is more beneficial than the negatives after all.

P. S. Which do you think is better, focusing on the negative stereotypes of the unemployed or considering alternatives and shedding light on the positives? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.